Trump called an unexpected press conference to announce he was ordering churches, mosques and synagogues open this weekend — and promptly left without taking questions. Birx, who hasn’t appeared at a White House press briefing in weeks, remained to deliver her public health plea — including caution about attending religious services in communities that still have outbreaks.

“If there is a heightened number of Covid cases, maybe they wait another week,” Birx said of religious attendance. “If there is a high number, there is a way to social distance, as you are here, in places of social worship.”

To emphasize the need to maintain precautions, Birx during a brief slideshow presentation discussed data showing how outbreaks started in meatpacking plants, group housing and social gatherings.

“When you go out for this weekend, Memorial Day, and you want to do some kind of social gathering, it is important to maintain that six feet of distance, and to have your mask with you in case a six-foot difference cannot be maintained,” she said.

The White House task force’s daily briefings stopped weeks ago, around the time the administration’s stay-at-home guidelines expired in late April. Since then, Trump has mostly appeared with economic advisers, not public health experts, and the messaging has been about reopening the country.

After Birx left the briefing podium, White House press secretary Kaleigh McEnany took her place and got in a testy exchange with reporters over Trump’s order for houses of worship to reopen.